


Episode One:  The Hookman

by tella



Series: Xander The Charmed [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 17:58:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1657331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tella/pseuds/tella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre-Season Two</p><p>Re-Telling of the Supernatural Episode The Hookman</p>
            </blockquote>





	Episode One:  The Hookman

**Author's Note:**

> Just something quick to get me back into writing.
> 
> I am looking for a beta. I have most of season two planned out and have written episode one written.

The Hookman

 

Xander sighed as he and Angel paced down from their workout.

“Are you okay?” Angel asked.

“Yeah…I just think I’m more tired from doing that spell to bury the Master’s bones, than I thought I would be.”

“The spell was more intense than I was expecting.” Giles agreed, from the table.

“Yeah.” Xander agreed. Stepping over to the table, “What are you working on?”

“A young boy died in suspicious circumstances last week.” Giles said, “He was out on a date with his girlfriend and they heard some noise, the boy went out to investigate, when he didn’t come back she went to look for him and found him dead.”

“She didn’t see what happened?” Angel asked.

“No.”

“Why are you looking into it?” Xander asked.

“There were two murders similar to this last month; both times they each said something about hearing some noise before the boyfriend was killed.”

“So what can we do to help?” Xander asked.

“Well if you and Willow could talk to the girlfriend, Lori, I believe her name is.” Giles asked him, “I’m looking to see if there are any connections between the victims.

“Sure, Willow and I can do that tomorrow.” Xander answered, “Angel and I will do a patrol tonight and I’ll call Willow in the morning. We’ll drop by Lori’s tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” Giles said, going back to his papers.

Xander quickly changed and headed out the library for patrol leaving Giles behind lost in his research.

 

****

 

“So, how are we going to do this?” Willow asked.

“What do you mean?” Xander smirked.

“Well do we play it like good cop, bad cop or what?” she asked eagerly. 

“Wills, she just lost her boyfriend, how about we go and ask her some questions.” Xander laughed.

“Well, I suppose we could do that.” Willow sighed, disappointed, as they walked up Lori’s door and rung the doorbell.

“Hi, are you Lori?” she asked, when the door opened.

“Yes,” the young blonde girl asked.

“Hi, I’m willow and this is Xander.” She said with a wave to Xander, “Do you mind if we ask you some questions?”

“What about?”

“Uhmm…it’s about last night…what happened to your boyfriend…” Willow said.

“Look, I’ve already talked to the police, which you are clearly not. And I’ve had enough of people making fun of me for what I saw.” She snapped at them, stepping back to close the door on them.

Xander shot out his hand to stop the door from closing and said, “We’re not here to laugh at you. We really do want to hear what you have to say. We would believe you.”

“Why? Why would you believe me?” She asked sceptically.

“Because we’ve seen our own fair share of strange things.” Xander answered her.

She stared at him before she opened the door and let them into the house. She led them into the living room and sat down in a chair as she indicated that they sit on the couch

“What do you want to know?" She asked, once they were settled.

“How about you just tell us what happened?” He suggested.

Taking a deep breath she nodded and said, “We were in the park. We were in his car, fooling around. We heard some noise, at first Tony told me just to ignore it but it kept happening and it started to creep me out. Tony finally got out to see what it was, he was out there for a long time so I got out to look for him but when I got out the car I saw that he was hanging upside down over the car.”

“And you didn’t see anybody?” Willow asked, gently.

“There was nobody out there but me and Tony.”  
Do you think someone could have followed you and hidden?” Xander tried.

“We were in the park and it wasn’t that dark yet,” she sighed, “I would have seen someone following us. I think I would have seen someone hiding in the park, but we were alone. It was just us, everything was quiet and then there were the noises.”

Do you remember anything else, anything that might seem strange, something you would want to tell the police.” Xander asked.

“No. I told you and the police everything I saw and heard.” Lori said.

“Okay. Thank you for telling us and for trusting us.” Willow said as she stood up.

“Is that it? Is that all you wanted. You’re not going to call me crazy or whatever?” She asked, standing up with them.

“No, we wanted the truth and we knew we would get it from you.” Xander shrugged.

“What…what do you think happened” she asked them.

“We’re not sure, yet. But we promise that we’ll let you know once we do.” Xander promised.

“Thank you.” She smiled at them as she showed them out the house.

“What do you think?” Willow asked as they walked the street.

“I don’t know.” Xander shrugged, frowning, “Her story, it reminds me of something…something I’ve heard before. Giles said that he was going to look into connections between the victims. I told him we would meet in the library after we talked to Lori. Angel said he'd meet us later tonight.”

“So, how are things with you and Angel?” She smiled at him.

“Good, things are good.” He smiled at her. “I’m happy.”

“Yeah, well good. You deserve some happiness.” She said.

 

****

 

“Hey, do you think could be another Marci situation?” Willow asked.

Xander Willow had arrived at the library to find Angel there early, helping Giles with his research. After quickly explaining what Lori had told them they had begun researching, when Willow remembered the invisible girl, Marci.

“No, I don’t think so.” Angel said.

“Then what?” Xander asked.

“It’s like you said. The story reminded me of something I had heard before too.” Angel said holding up the book he was reading, “It’s an urban legend, The Hookman.”

“The Hookman?” Giles asked, as he took the book from Angel and started reading.

“”It fits with the girl’s story.” Angel said.

“And the other two murders.” Giles added.

“So what is the Hookman? A ghost or what?” Xander asked.

“Well Urban Legends are believed to have a basis in reality.” Giles said, looking up from the book he said, “The legend usually starts the same. A young couple are out somewhere quiet, on a date, usually the woods somewhere. They hear some news about an escaped prisoner or mental patient. Then they start hearing some noises, the boy goes out to investigate, he goes missing and then the girl goes to look for him only for her to find him dead.”

“Yes, that is what Lori pretty much said, word for word.” Xander said.

“So, what do we do?” Willow asked.

“Well as I said earlier. All Urban Legends have a basis in reality, starting point, something to give the legend a truth. If Angel and Xander could help me to research the legend more, find out what we can and we it may have originated from.” Giles asked the two boys who nodded back at him, looking at Willow he asked, “And if you could maybe look and see if there are anymore incidents like these, not just in Sunnydale but all over?”

Everybody agreed and soon they were all lost in their research. Soon Willow stood up and stretched before turning to the three men and broke the companionable silence and said,

“I searched back as far as I could. I found a few more incidents similar, not a lot but every few years there were there a few murders just like ours, and they all happened around Sunnydale or close to the town.”

“When was the earliest date?” Xander asked.

“The first one that I could find was in 1888.”

“That matches.” Xander nodded, “I started looking around for murders that happened around prisons and asylums and I found some really disturbing stuff, but this one kinda stood out. In 1862 a preacher was arrested for the murder of twelve prostitutes. Some of them were found hanging upside down. He was put in an asylum.”

“Why do you think this is our guy?” Angel asked.

“Well, besides the hanging his victims upside down, he died in 1888.” He said, before showing them the newspaper clipping and the pitcher he added, “Also his choice of weapon. A hook.”

“Well, I can see why he could be a suspect, but it could also be a coincidence.” Giles suggested.

“Right, except he was put inside the old asylum that was attached to Sunnydale hospital. It closed in 1936.”

“So this is or guy?” Willow asked, “Is he ghost?”

“Is there any connections between the victims?” Giles asked, ignoring he questions for the moment.

“Not that I could find, sorry.” She shrugged.

“Actually I think there is.” Angel said leaning over Willow to study the newspaper picture on the computer screen, “Did it say what they did with the hook?”

“Ahh…they melted it.” Xander said, reading from the newspaper, “Why?”

“Because after the original murders 1862, the next murders did start happening until after the preacher died in 1888. Look at what they first girl is wearing and all the other girls.”

Willow studied the photos and sat back and said, “He’s right. They’re all wearing an identical necklace.”

“I’d wager it is the exact same necklace.” Giles answered, “Which means we could be dealing with a possession.”

“What do we deal with a possession?” Xander asked.

“Well, I’m assuming that it is the necklace that is possessed and that Lori now has the necklace.” Giles said, looking at Xander and Willow asked, “You’ve talked to her. You can explain and see if you can get the necklace from her, bring it back here so we can do an anti-possession spell and destroy the necklace.”

“Sure we can go and see her tomorrow.” Willow said.

“I think we you should go and get the necklace tomorrow.” Giles said, “The quicker we destroy the necklace the safer everyone will be.”

“Yes but Giles, it’s like one o’clock in the morning. Most normal people are in bed at this time.” Xander said.

“Right, right of course. Sorry.” Giles sighed.

“Also if I have a spell to do tomorrow I should get some sleep.” Xander said as stood up.

“Of course.” Giles agreed.

“Well walk Willow home and then do a quick sweep of the town before heading home.” Angel said, standing up and putting on his jacket, the others getting ready to leave.

 

****

“Night Willow, I’ll see you in the morning.” Xander said, as he and Angel dropped Willow of at her house.

“Night, guys.” She smiled at them before walking into her house.

“So not quite the quite summer we were expecting huh.” Xander said.

“No, it’s not. Usual it is quite after a master has been killed.” Angel agreed. “Vampires have gone into hiding, but you know at least you’re getting a chance to practice casting spells.”

“”Yeah, that is kinda cool.” Xander smiled, “Is it okay if I stay at yours again tonight.”

“You’re always welcome.” Angel said, wrapping an arm around the boy’s waist and pulling him in close.

“Thanks, can we go home now.” Xander asked, yawning, “Who new reading could be so tiring.”

“Yeah, we can go home.” Angel smiled, delighted that Xander called his apartment home.

 

****

“Good morning.” Greeted Willow and Xander as they entered the library, “Did you stop by Lori’s?”

“Yes, but we weren’t the only ones.” Xander said, sitting down.

“What do you mean?” Giles asked.

“When we stopped by her place, the police where already there.” Willow said. “Her roommate was killed last night. She’s at her dads”

“It seems that the ghost is becoming more active.” Giles said, “We need the necklace.”

“Right that’s why we stopped by her dads place and got it.” Willow said, as she held it out to Giles.

“Good, we should get started on the spell.” Giles said, standing up and taking the necklace from Willow.

“Actually, Angel wants us to wait until he gets here.” Xander said, “It’s just that after last time…the spell with the Master, he wants to be sure that everything goes okay.”

“Well, of course.” Giles nodded, “He is concerned. The spell took a lot out of you. When will get here?”

“He should be…” Xander was cut off as Giles was grabbed from behind and tossed him over the counter, a man in a long black jacket and a hook standing over him.

Throwing up his hands to try and freeze the ghost only to shout, “Okay, so ghost going the things that don’t freeze list.”

“Xander do the spell.” Giles shouted.

“Right.” Xander ran to the table and dropped the necklace into the bowl. He flinched the few times as he heard Giles and Willow grunting in pain a few times. As he began the spell a wind began to pick up in the room, books and paper flying as he chanted.

As soon as he had finished chanting the winds died down and there was a sudden jarring silence in the room.

“Are you two okay?” Xander asked as he turned to see Giles helping Willow to stand up from behind the counter.

“Yes, I think.” Giles said.

“A little bruised, but okay.” Willow offered.

“”Good, that’s good.” Xander sighed, “Cause I’m gonna pass out now.”

“Xander!” Willow called out as she and Giles ran out from behind the counter to try and catch him.

Giles caught Xander just before he reached the floor and carried him over to the table and laid him down after Willow had quickly cleared it.

“Angels gonna be mad.” Willow murmured.

“It’s not like it could be helped.” Giles muttered back.

“I don’t understand. Xander is supposed to be this big and powerful witch, doing a spell should be easy, right?” Willow asked.  
“Yes, but Xander has been thrown in at the deep end.” Giles tried to explain. “Most witches start early and years of training. Starting with smaller and less powerful spells.”

“So he will okay doing spells eventually?” she asked.

“Yes, eventually.” Giles agreed, “I should start training him soon, help him harness his powers.”

“Good,” Angel growled as he entered the library from behind the shelves, “I told him to wait for me.”

“We didn’t have the time to wait. The ghost came and attacked.” Giles explained.

“Sorry, I just…” Angel trailed off.

“Worry.” Willow finished.

“Yeah.” Angel sighed.

Xanders groan made them look down at him in concern.

“Hey, you okay” Angel asked.

“Yeah, little tired.” He said, trying to sit up, smiling at Angel when he helped, “I’m guessing it worked.”

“Yes, it worked.” Giles smiled.

“That’s good, can I go home and sleep now. I really just want to sleep for like ever.” Xander groaned.

“Yeah, I can take you home.” Angel smiled as he helped him stand up.

“Xander, you did good.” Giles said, smiling proudly, “Rest tomorrow and then come here in a couple of days and we’ll begin your training.”

“Okay, see you then G-man.” Xander said, leaning heavily against Angel as he was lead out library.

 

****

 

“How are you feeling?” Angel asked as he and Xander settled down in bed.

“Fine, just really tired.” He said as he snuggled into Angel’s chest. “Do you really think I’ll get a handle on my powers?”

“Yes.” Angel said, tightening his arms more securely around his waist, “Training with Giles will help. It’s something we should have been doing when this all started, but I just thought we should concentrate on your active powers…”

“Yeah, making sure I don’t accidentally freeze a roomful of people is kinda important.” Xander smirked.

“Right,” Angel said, “Everything will be fine. We’ll work on your training and everything will be okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes, I’m not going to let anything happen to you, you know that right?” Angel asked.

“I know, just like you know I would do the same for you.” Xander replied sleepily.

“I know.” Angel agreed, following the boy to sleep.


End file.
